Connect with us

INTERNACIONAL

Fugitive dad who hid 3 children in the wilderness for nearly 4 years killed in police shootout

Published

on


NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

A fugitive father who spent nearly four years on the run with his three young children was killed during a police shootout in New Zealand on Monday, bringing an end to one of the country’s most high-profile manhunts. 

Advertisement

Tom Phillips vanished into the Waikato wilderness with his children shortly before Christmas in 2021 following a dispute with their mother, who held sole custody, according to local officials.

Police said Phillips was fatally shot during an attempted burglary at a supply store, where he was accompanied by one of his children. Phillips died at the scene, and his children – Ember, now believed to be 9, Maverick, 10, and Jayda, 12 – were safely recovered and are now in care, according to officials.

«This is an emotional development. To know the children are safe, and now receiving care after nearly four years, is an absolute relief,» Acting Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers said in a statement. «We are grateful to see an end to what has been three years of torment for the children’s family.»

Advertisement

MANHUNT FOR TRAVIS DECKER INTENSIFIES AS COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE ASSUMES LEAD ROLE IN SEARCH FOR FATHER

During the four years Tom Phillips went missing, surveillance footage has captured the fugitive dad attempting to rob a store. (New Zealand Police)

Police were alerted around 2:30 a.m. local time Monday to a suspected break-in at a supply store in Piopio, a small town located in the North Island where Phillips was believed to have been hiding out with his children.

Advertisement

When officers spotted two people riding a four-wheeled bike near the scene of the burglary, they suspected Phillips was involved and deployed road spikes on a nearby street to intercept them, according to a police news release.

Phillips opened fire on officers, striking one in the upper body and leaving him seriously injured. Police said they returned fire and killed Phillips. The child with him was unharmed and taken into custody, while the wounded officer was transported to a hospital for treatment.

BONES DISCOVERED DURING LATEST MANHUNT FOR TRAVIS DECKER, WANTED IN DAUGHTERS’ MURDERS

Advertisement
profile photos of three young children

Ember, now 9, Maverick, 10, and Jayda, 12, went missing nearly four years ago in New Zealand. (New Zealand Police)

Later that afternoon, officers discovered the remaining two children, a boy and a girl, alone at a makeshift camp about one mile from the scene of the shooting. Both were recovered unharmed, officials said.

Authorities had long expressed concerns about the children’s welfare, saying they were being raised in isolation without access to formal schooling or healthcare.  

Despite several reported sightings in the Waikato region over the years, police efforts to locate the family had repeatedly come up empty.

Advertisement

ABDUCTED BOY FEATURED IN NETFLIX ‘UNSOLVED MYSTERIES’ FOUND SAFE 7 YEARS AFTER CAPTURE: ‘OVERWHELMED WITH JOY’

split photo of quadbike hidden in the wilderness and profile of Tom phillips

New Zealand Police discovered a makeshift campsite and quad bikes in the wilderness where fugitive father Tom Phillips last hid his children. (New Zealand Police)

Police said Phillips already faced charges of aggravated robbery, aggravated wounding and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Officials recovered three guns at the scene of the shooting, including the weapon he used to fire on officers, and found several more at his camp.

Advertisement

Surveillance footage also captured him previously attempting to break into another retail store on Aug. 27.

INSIDE THE DEADLY ‘SUBURBAN NIGHTMARE’ THAT SHATTERED A CONNECTICUT FAMILY’S WORLD

The children’s mother, Cat, described the news of Phillips’ death as bringing a «wave of complex emotions,» according to local outlet RNZ.

Advertisement
Cat, the mother of the missing children, said she was deeply relieved to hear that her children were found.

Cat, the mother of the missing children, said she was deeply relieved to hear that her children were found. (New Zealand Police)

«First and foremost, we are deeply relieved that for our tamariki this ordeal has come to an end,» she said, using the Māori word for children. «[The children] have been dearly missed every day for nearly four years, and we are looking forward to welcoming them home with love and care.»

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

«They have endured a long and difficult journey, and we ask for privacy as we help them adjust and reintegrate into a stable and loving environment,» she added.

Advertisement



new zealand,crime world,police and law enforcement,crime world,world

Advertisement

INTERNACIONAL

Grassley releases memo showing DOJ ‘unleashed unchecked government power’ on Trump associates

Published

on


NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, on Thursday released an April 2022 Justice Department memo showing then-Attorney General Merrick Garland, then-Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, and then-FBI Director Christopher Wray personally approved an FBI investigation into alleged efforts by Trump campaign associates to obstruct Congress’ certification of the 2020 election.

Advertisement

Grassley posted the four-page memorandum on X, saying it proves top Biden administration officials «personally approved» the case — which he referred to as «Arctic Frost» — and that it «unleashed unchecked government power at the highest levels.»

The Iowa Republican added, «My oversight will continue.»

The April 2022 memo, signed by Garland, Monaco, and Wray, authorized the FBI’s Washington Field Office to open what the bureau designated a «Sensitive Investigative Matter.» The document details the FBI’s request to examine whether individuals connected to Donald Trump’s 2020 campaign conspired to obstruct Congress’ certification of the Electoral College on Jan. 6, 2021.

Advertisement

TOP GOP SENATOR DEMANDS PROBE INTO WHETHER JACK SMITH ‘UNLAWFULLY’ TRIED TO INFLUENCE 2024 ELECTION

«Following the 2020 Presidential and Vice Presidential election, in an apparent effort to obstruct Congress’s certification of Electoral College, fraudulent certificates of electors’ votes were submitted to the Archivist of the United States, purporting to represent the actual elector votes from the states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin,» the executive summary reads. «Open source reporting and public statements made by individuals closely associated with Donald J. Trump, Inc. (Trump Campaign) present an articulable factual basis indicating the existence of a federal crime, and thus the FBI seeks to open a full investigation.

«Because this investigation involves a SIM as set forth in the Department of Justice memorandum dated February 5, 2020, entitled ‘Additional Requirements for Opening of Certain Sensitive Investigations’ (DOJ Memo), your authorization is required before WFO may initiate this full investigation,» the document continued.

Advertisement

Monaco wrote at the bottom of the document, «Merrick- I recommend you approve,» before initialing and dating it 4/5/22. Garland ultimately signed off on the investigation on the same day.

DEM REP DEFENDS DOJ OBTAINING GOP SENATOR CALL RECORDS IN 2023: ‘YOU WEREN’T SURVEILLED’

Sen. Chuck Grassley released a memo from former FBI Director Christopher Wray to former Attorney General Merrick Garland to open an investigation into the Trump Campaign in April 2022, for allegedly attempting to interfere with Congress’ certification of the 2020 election. (Samuel Corum-Pool, Anna Moneymaker and Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images)

Advertisement

The authorization came more than a year after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot and months before now-former Special Counsel Jack Smith was appointed to oversee related investigations. The memo appears to document an early stage of the Justice Department’s examination of the so-called «fake electors» effort that became a focus of Smith’s probe.

In 2023, Smith subpoenaed phone records belonging to eight Republican senators and one House member, covering a four-day period — Jan. 4 to Jan. 7, 2021 — to examine call activity around the Capitol riot. The subpoenas did not seek call content but instead listed numbers, dates and durations.

The targeted senators included Republican Sens. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Josh Hawley of Missouri and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

Advertisement

FBI FIRES AGENTS, DISMANTLES CORRUPTION SQUAD AFTER PROBE UNVEILS MONITORING OF GOP SENATORS, PATEL SAYS

Former Special Counsel Jack Smith speaking to the press.

Jack Smith, U.S. special counsel, speaks during a news conference in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023.  (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

In addition to the eight senators, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told Fox News’ Sean Hannity Tuesday that he recently discovered Smith also attempted to subpoena his toll records but that his phone company, AT&T, did not hand them over.

Smith said the records were narrowly tailored and «entirely proper,» adding they were meant to support his investigation into Trump’s alleged efforts to subvert the 2020 election results.

Advertisement
Sen. Chuck Grassley

Senator Chuck Grassley, a Republican from Iowa and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, speaks during a hearing in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025 (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

His lawyers wrote to Grassley, saying the subpoenas complied with Justice Department policy and were routine.

Republicans have broadly claimed they were inappropriately spied on and compared Arctic Frost to the Watergate scandal. Smith’s lawyers emphasized the normalcy of seeking phone records and said public officials are not immune from investigation.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Advertisement

Smith’s attorneys also disputed accusations from FBI Director Kash Patel that the subpoenas were hidden, noting the requests were referenced in a footnote of Smith’s final report and shared with Trump’s defense team in discovery.

Fox News Digital’s Ashley Oliver contributed to this report.

Advertisement

chuck grassley,justice department,fbi,donald trump,senate,congress

Advertisement
Continue Reading

INTERNACIONAL

Nuevas imágenes del robo del Louvre: así huyeron los ladrones con el botín millonario en un montacargas

Published

on


Francia sigue en shock tras el impactante robo en el museo del Louvre, ocurrido el domingo por la mañana. Un grupo de ladrones, vestidos como trabajadores y con la cara cubierta, se llevó ocho objetos valuados en más de 100 millones de dólares pertenecientes a la colección de Napoleón y de los antiguos reyes franceses.

Las nuevas imágenes de las cámaras de seguridad muestran cómo dos de los delincuentes descendieron por la fachada sur del museo, a orillas del Sena, usando un montacargas. Uno de ellos llevaba puesto un chaleco amarillo, simulando ser un operario. En cuestión de segundos, ambos bajaron de la grúa, se subieron a una moto —presuntamente una T-Max— y desaparecieron del lugar.

Advertisement

Leé también: Cuáles son las joyas que fueron robadas en el Louvre y qué puede pasar con ellas, según expertos

El montacargas que usaron los ladrones para irrumpir y escapar en el Louvre. (Foto: AFP/Dimitar Dilkoff).

Un golpe relámpago en plena apertura del museo

El robo se produjo minutos después de las 9.30 de la mañana, justo cuando el Louvre abría sus puertas al público. En los videos se observa cómo, mientras los primeros visitantes ingresaban a la Galería de Apolo —una de las salas más espectaculares del museo, donde se exhiben las joyas reales y los diamantes de la corona—, los ladrones actuaban a sus espaldas.

Advertisement

Uno de los delincuentes, oculto detrás de una vitrina y vestido con el chaleco amarillo, utilizó una amoladora angular para romper el cristal blindado. Así, lograron sustraer las piezas y salir sin levantar sospechas.

Video Placeholder

El momento en el que un turista grabó a uno de los ladrones de las joyas del Louvre. (Video: gentileza TRT World / Foto: Reuters)

Ocho minutos, una amoladora y una moto: así fue el robo perfecto

La banda necesitó apenas ocho minutos para ejecutar el golpe. La rapidez y la precisión con la que actuaron les permitió escapar sin ser detenidos.

El collar y los pendientes de esmeraldas de la reina Marie-Louise que fueron robados del Louvre. (Foto: AFP/Stéphane de Sakutin).

El collar y los pendientes de esmeraldas de la reina Marie-Louise que fueron robados del Louvre. (Foto: AFP/Stéphane de Sakutin).

El caso reavivó el debate sobre la protección de los tesoros nacionales y la necesidad de reforzar la seguridad en uno de los museos más importantes del mundo.

Advertisement

Leé también: El Museo del Louvre estimó que las joyas robadas valen más de U$S100 millones

El Louvre reconoció que faltan cámaras de seguridad tras el robo

La directora del Louvre, Laurence des Cars, aseguró el miércoles que las alarmas del museo funcionaron durante el espectacular robo de joyas, pero admitió que el sistema de videovigilancia en el exterior es “muy insuficiente”, en su comparecencia ante una comisión en el Senado.

“Hay algunas cámaras perimetrales, pero están obsoletas […] Es muy insuficiente y no cubre claramente todas las fachadas del Louvre. Desgraciadamente, en el lado de la galería de Apolo, la única cámara instalada está orientada hacia el oeste”, y por lo tanto, no cubría el balcón por donde accedieron los ladrones, añadió, en sus primeras declaraciones públicas desde el hurto.

Advertisement

La responsable, que en 2021 se convirtió en la primera mujer en dirigir la pinacoteca, también pidió que se instalara “una comisaría de policía” dentro del establecimiento y sugirió otras medidas “a corto plazo” como “la seguridad de las inmediaciones del Louvre, especialmente en la calzada».

Este robo es “una inmensa herida que nos han infligido”, dijo Des Cars, que presentó su renuncia al gobierno, aunque fue rechazada.

“Una supuesta mudanza”

La investigación “avanza”, aseguró el ministro del Interior, Laurent Nuñez, quien precisó que “más de un centenar de investigadores” están movilizados.

Advertisement

Según la fiscal de París, Laure Beccuau, los delincuentes obtuvieron el vehículo montacargas a través de “un falso alquiler para una supuesta mudanza”.

La corona de la emperatriz Eugenia, que fue abandonada por los ladrones. (Foto: AFP/Stéphane de Sakutin).

La corona de la emperatriz Eugenia, que fue abandonada por los ladrones. (Foto: AFP/Stéphane de Sakutin).

La fiscal también precisó que el servicio de conservación del Louvre estimó los daños en 88 millones de euros (102 millones de dólares), una suma “extremadamente espectacular” pero que “no es en absoluto paralela ni comparable a los daños históricos”, lamentó.

Los ladrones “no ganarán” ese monto “si tienen la pésima idea de fundir esas joyas”, advirtió.

Advertisement

Francia, Robo, Louvre

Continue Reading

INTERNACIONAL

Dems silent on progressive candidate’s Nazi-style tattoo after knocking Hegseth for Christian symbol

Published

on


NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Prominent Democrats who were highly critical of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s tattoos with crusader symbolism are now keeping silent on a progressive Senate candidate who had a Nazi-style symbol tattooed to his chest.

Advertisement

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., criticized Hegseth for his tattoos, one of which is a Jerusalem cross and another with the Latin phrase «Deus Vult» (God wills it), both of which are associated with the crusades and ancient Christian symbolism.

Following their comments against Hegseth, Fox News Digital reached out to Warren and Duckworth for comment on the ongoing controversy over Maine Senate Democratic candidate Graham Platner having a «Totenkopf,» Nazi «death’s head» symbol tattooed to his chest.

Warren has previously expressed enthusiasm for Platner’s candidacy, telling Politico, «I’m excited to see new people enter the race for the Senate … particularly those who have a strong voice they’re willing to use on behalf of people who are often ignored in the U.S. Senate.»

Advertisement

ARE PETE HEGSETH’S TATTOOS SYMBOLS OF ‘CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM’?

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., left, and Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., right, kept silent on progressive Senate candidate Graham Platner’s controversial tattoo. (Ben Margot/AP Photo; WGME via AP; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Fox News Digital asked whether Warren and Duckworth condemn Platner because of the tattoo and whether they believe he should drop out of the race. Neither immediately responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Advertisement

During Hegseth’s confirmation hearings, Warren sent him an extensive letter, in which, among other issues, she expressed concern about his «Deus Vult» tattoo.

«You were also removed from President Biden’s inauguration because of concerns that you were an insider threat after reports that your ‘Deus Vult’ tattoo ‘was a Christian expression associated with right-wing extremism,’» Warren wrote. «We cannot have a Defense Secretary whose fellow servicemembers feel concerned enough about to report as a potential insider threat.»

Democrats have continued to give Hegseth a hard time over the tattoos. During a hearing in June, Duckworth accused Hegseth of «blowing through money like my fellow cadets and I did in our first liberty after basic camp. Luckily, I didn’t end up with a questionable tattoo.»

Advertisement

‘MAINE’S MAMDANI’: MAINE GOP CHIEF ISSUES WARNING ABOUT NEW CHALLENGER LOOKING TO OUST SUSAN COLLINS

Hegseth speaks to senior military leadership

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth speaks to senior military leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., Sept. 30, 2025.  (Andrew Harnik/Pool via Reuters)

Platner, a Marine veteran and progressive endorsed by the likes of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has garnered widespread criticism over a skull-and-crossbones tattoo on his chest that strongly resembles the Totenkopf symbol used by Hitler’s SS forces.

After the controversy erupted, Platner said he got the tattoo in 2007 during a «night of drinking» while on leave in Croatia in the Marine Corps and claimed he did not know its historical associations at the time. He has since covered the image with another tattoo of dogs.

Advertisement

In a video posted to Instagram Wednesday afternoon, Platner elaborated that the design was chosen from a flash tattoo wall while «carousing» with fellow Marines in Split, Croatia.

«We thought it looked cool,» he said.

MAINE DEM SENATE HOPEFUL BACKED BY BERNIE SANDERS APOLOGIZES FOR NAZI-STYLE TATTOO, VOWS TO STAY IN RACE

Advertisement
bernie sanders no kings speech

Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks at a «No Kings» rally in Washington, D.C., Oct. 18.  (Fox News Digital/Emma Woodhead)

He claimed he had «lived a life dedicated to anti-fascism, anti-racism and anti-Nazism» and was «appalled» to learn it resembled a hate symbol.

A spokesperson for Sanders shared an Axios interview with the senator in which he said, «I’m not overly impressed by a squad of media running around saying, ‘What do you think about the tattoo on Graham Platner’s chest’» and «between you and me there might be one or two more important issues.» 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Advertisement

The spokesperson also shared another statement from Sanders in which he said of Platner, «I personally think he is an excellent candidate. I’m going to support him, and I look forward to him becoming the next senator in the state of Maine»

Fox News Digital also reached out to Sanders and Platner’s campaign for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Fox News Digital’s Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.

Advertisement

2025 2026 elections coverage,democratic party,pete hegseth

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Tendencias